A Different Present
by otherhawk
Summary: Danny's Luck verse. The best birthday present ever can be interesting when there's quite so much ever to choose from. Complete
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with O11**

**A/N: Happy Birthday for anyone who might have a birthday in, oh, fifteen minutes time? Give or take? Hope you like it, mate.**

**A/N2: Set a few months after Change of Luck. You might need to read that one first. **

**A/N3: I've done some research, but I freely admit, I'm playing fast and loose with history here.**

* * *

It had been a long tough year, and even though only he and Rusty understood _why _that was the case, it probably went some way to explain why everyone seemed extra determined to make a fuss for Danny's birthday. They'd gathered in Vegas for something that was more than a get together and less than a party, and there'd been presents, music, poker, four different kinds of cake, and best of all, Tess, Rusty and all their friends.

In short, it was about as good a birthday as Danny had ever had, and judging by the sparkle of anticipation in Rusty's eyes, it wasn't over yet.

Three o'clock in the morning found them relaxing in front of the fire together, drinking whisky, the night in what might or might not be a temporary lull.

"So," he began. "I notice you didn't get me a present."

With a grin, Rusty tipped his glass towards him. "Uh huh. You're gonna have to wait till earlier."

He smiled. "Till later, you mean?" he asked, as he knew Rusty meant him to.

"Nope. "Rusty leaned forwards and the way he seemed to shine might just be from the glow of the fire. "See, I didn't get you a birthday present last year."

Not existing probably let him off the hook on that one. "Didn't get me a Christmas present either," Danny pointed out.

"Right," Rusty nodded. "So I figured I owed you."

Danny raised an eyebrow. Rusty never _owed _him anything.

"But I wanted to," Rusty told him. "I wanted to get you something special."

Huh. Danny cocked his head to one side. "What are you plotting?" he wondered easily.

Rusty grinned. "What makes you think I'm plotting?"

"You're breathing," Danny told him dryly.

With a laugh, Rusty reached into his pocket and drew out a playing card. The Ace of Diamonds. It had some sort of strange shape drawn on it in silver ink which Danny couldn't make out no matter how he squinted. Just tracing the edges of it made his eyes hurt.

"Okay...what am I looking at?" he asked, puzzled.

"I called in a couple of favours," Rusty told him. "From people who like me this time. To get your birthday present, we're gonna need to go on a little trip. Somewhere you've never been before."

Okay. So now he was intrigued. "Should I say goodbye to Tess?"

Rusty shook his head. "We'll be back before anyone notices we've gone," he promised.

"So where are we going?" Danny asked.

In response, Rusty held out the card. "Trust me?"

Always. He reached out and touched it, and the world dissolved and rebuilt itself, and suddenly it was daytime, and they were outside, standing in a narrow cobbled street, and the air smelled of animals and soot, and thick dark smog. Impossible. He turned to stare at Rusty, his mouth hanging open. "What...?"

The smile was bright and carefree and infectious. "Welcome to London, 1851."

* * *

This was quite simply amazing, and they just wandered the streets for a while as Danny drank it all in, his eyes everywhere at once. He'd never really been much of one for history at school, but actually _being _in history...yeah, this was something memorable. Things as simple as the lack of cars – the noise and smell – were somehow difficult to get his head around. And the fact that there were horses _everywhere _was unreal. He kept expecting to see the edge of the film set.

He was so busy watching a guy ride past on a bicycle so large he could probably reach out and touch the top of the streetlamps – seriously. Why? - that he walked smack into a couple of men coming out of an upscale restaurant, provoking some disgusted looks and an exclamation that sounded like "Demn."

"Sorry," he said at once with an apologetic smile. "My fault."

The two guys immediately sniffed in unison. "Oh, a _colonial,_" the younger one said with a sigh. "Well, that certainly explains the appalling manners."

"And the fashion faux pas," the other agreed with a titter. "Really, what does he think he's wearing?"

Something that would be extremely stylish in a hundred and sixty years time. He looked at the eager, idle cruelty on display, and he didn't even have to glance at Rusty. "Oh, y'all folks are local?" he asked, in an amalgamation of every bad American accent he'd ever heard Basher try.

"Gee, that's great," Rusty said, adding a few more, and only Danny would be able to hear the laugh underneath. "Maybe you can settle a bet for us."

The guys smirked and crowded close. "Oh, yes? What would that be?"

Hook, line and sinker. Time for some fun.

* * *

Turned out rich arrogant assholes were the same in every time, and soon they were looking at a nice pile of fascinating money. The bills – or notes, if the Brits insisted – were about the size of an A4 sheet of paper. How did anyone think _that _was convenient?

At any rate, they now had plenty of money to head to Saville Row and get transformed into the very model of proper Victorian gentlemen, hats and all. . The hats were apparently mandatory. Danny just didn't get it. He'd never really thought of a hat as an essential piece of clothing, not like pants - and pants were essential, no matter what Rusty said. Still, he thought, as he adjusted his to a properly jaunty angle. He was sure he could pull this look off.

"Thank you," Rusty told the tailor as he settled up the bill. "Now you've got our measurements, we might just want a few other things run up. We'll send you our address."

Address, huh? That suggested this wasn't a day trip. Well, that was intriguing.

He waited to bring it up. They went for lunch in a nearby restaurant and indulged in stewed rabbit, fish soup and oysters, which arrived all at once, with very few vegetables to be found, and they lingered afterwards over whisky that tasted intriguingly not quite like any other whisky Danny had ever drank before.

Rusty smiled. "We got the time, we should head up north, find one of the illegal stills. Now that tastes like nothing else."

He leaned back. "So how long we here for?"

"However long you like," Rusty answered easily.

"And why _here?_" he asked.

"You still think I'm plotting?" Rusty asked with a grin.

"I still think you're breathing," Danny retorted.

Rusty laughed. "Okay. So, I did have something in mind. You ever hear of the Koh-i-Noor?"

He struggled to remember. "It's a diamond, right? Part of the British crown jewels? Largest in the world, or something."

"Right," Rusty agreed. "Discovered in India, taken to Britain in 1850, and right now, on display to the general public in the Crystal Palace."

The smile spread slowly. "And you want us to steal it?"

Rusty raised his glass. "Happy Birthday," he said simply.

His eyes said thank you. Then he frowned. "Wait...if we steal it, isn't that changing history?"

"Now, that's where things get interesting," Rusty said cheerfully. "Apparently, a short time in the future from now, Victoria's husband, Prince Albert - "

Danny blinked. " - he was really called - "

Rusty rolled his eyes. " - _yes, and _- "

Danny wasn't finished. " - Well, did he wear one, or - "

" - focus, Danny," Rusty told him severely. "Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, had the diamond cut down significantly."

That brought Danny up short. "Huh."

"Yeah, Rusty agreed."

He thought some more. _Huh. _

Rusty grinned. "Exactly."

"So, you have the largest diamond in the world," he said slowly. "Why would you want to make it smaller?"

"Maybe you wouldn't," Rusty suggested.

"Maybe you wouldn't," he agreed. "But maybe if you lost it, you would replace it with another one and say you'd had the first one cut down, rather than lose face."

"Face tends to be important to monarchs," Rusty nodded.

Hang on a moment. "So, what, does that mean we've already stolen it?" he asked. "Oh, this is going to give me a headache."

"Try not to think about it," Rusty advised him with a distinct lack of sympathy.

"What happens if I meet my own..." he hesitated.

"Great great grandparent," Rusty said helpfully. "Or great great great grandparent. They're all running around somewhere. So I'd advise not sleeping with or killing anyone."

He grinned. "Good advice for most situations," he noted. "Hey, how about you?"

Rusty tilted his head to one side, his eyes ever so slightly unfocused, and Danny knew he wasn't remembering, so that left him with the strange idea that Rusty was _listening. _"Currently in Australia," he said after a second. "The gold rush...not a problem, anyway."

"Alright then," he said with a smile. "Suppose the only question left is, what do you know about this diamond?"

* * *

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was in Hyde Park, in an amazingly beautiful glass building that was filled with trees and people and, as far as Danny could tell, _everything. _Safe to say, he was entranced. The crowds were incredible, tens of thousands of happy, chattering people, taking up every available space. And the exhibits themselves...there was artwork from all over the world, sitting right alongside machines for spinning cotton, microscopes, a barometer powered by leeches, what appeared to be the world's first fax machine, a projector that sent shadow puppets dancing up and down the corridor...amazing things. Impossible things.

"Having fun?" Rusty asked him lightly.

He smiled. "This is my sort of place," he said.

"Thought it might be," Rusty said, and they didn't bother with the _thank yous _or the _this is wonderfuls. _They both already knew.

In one room, surrounded by a large crowd, they saw a display of locks said to be unpickable, and the company representatives cheerfully challenged anyone from the crowd to step forwards and prove them wrong.

At the front of the crowd, Danny could see the inner workings exposed. Oh, they were simple. He could open them in ten seconds just with what he had in his pocket.

"Technology marches on," Rusty murmured in his ear.

"I suppose this would be a quick way to get noticed," Danny sighed regretfully, watching as an eager would-be-thief-or-locksmith tried his hand and failed.

Rusty shot him a sympathetic smile. "Matter of historical record who opens those locks," he said. "It's on wikipedia and everything."

Danny sulked. "It's not on wikipedia _yet._"

They wandered some more, admiring the exhibits and picking up some food. Burgers and hot dogs seemed out of the question, but there were baked potatoes, meat pies of dubious origin, candy apples and jellied eels.

"I'm disappointed," Rusty said after a mouthful. "Thought it would taste like jelly."

Danny wrinkled his nose. "Fish...jelly?"

"Isn't that basically what caviar is?" Rusty shrugged.

"See, this is why people say you have no class," Danny said seriously.

Rusty turned his head quickly. "_Who _says I have no class?"

"Well...Terry Benedict," Danny offered.

"Huh." Rusty pursed his lips. "Thought he said I had no morals."

"That too," Danny nodded.

"Huh." Rusty said again. "Maybe we can persuade him that jellied eels are the next big thing."

Danny smiled darkly. "Think after the last time we saw him, he probably doesn't care so much what the next big thing is." Probably what Terry cared most about was not seeing them ever again. Which would be fine with Danny.

They found their way to the Koh-i-Noor display eventually, mostly by following everyone else. There was a queue outside the room that looked to be about a hundred people long, and at least four deep.

"Popular," Danny noted."

"Well, there's nothing on TV," Rusty said with a shrug.

They joined the queue and waited as close to patiently as they could possibly manage. This was all about surveillance. Obviously they didn't need to worry about cameras or lasers or motion sensors, or any of the things they'd normally have to contend with, but that didn't mean they would be able to just walk in and pick up the priceless diamond. For a start there was one way in and one way out, and the crowd was kept constantly moving. There didn't seem to be a single time when there was less than fifty pairs of eyes on the diamond, and that was just the audience. There was also a small detachment of soldiers standing at attention, and a few plainclothes cops hidden amongst the crowd. Two, Danny thought.

"Three," Rusty murmured. "Another on the exit, see?"

He saw. And the case itself would take at least a couple of minutes to get open without breaking it. On the face of it, this seemed impossible. And the diamond was taken away by the soldiers every night and well guarded in the Tower of London. "I suppose we could - " he started.

"No, all the soldiers know each other," Rusty shook his head. "Plus - "

" - not enough people," he agreed. No, if they were going to try something, it would need to be here.

"Danny," Rusty said with a tiny hint of a frown. "Am I going mad, or does that guy look familiar?"

Danny raised an eyebrow. Even if someone here looked familiar to Rusty, it was hardly likely that _he'd _know him. But he surreptitiously turned to look anyway, and found himself looking at the guard captain. And he _did _look familiar, and at the same time, Danny was positive they'd never met. Though for someone he'd never met, he was having an almost uncontrollable urge to punch the man in the face.

They got it at the same time. "He looks like - "

" - Sebastian Charleston."

He did. He really, really did. Well, that explained why his fist itched.

"Would be easier if we could get a private viewing," Danny mused. As he spoke, another officer marched in and the captain saluted, and after a few moments conversation, started heading towards the exit. Going off duty.

"I'll go see what I can find out," Rusty said, starting after him.

Danny blinked and cocked his head enquiringly.

Rusty grinned. "He's been eyeing me up since we came in."

Was that really supposed to make him feel better?

Unhappily, he walked out after the two of them, keeping a comfortable distance behind, seeing the animated and the carefully-distant flirtatiousness.

When Rusty finally jogged back to meet him, he was standing at the edge of the animal show, watching vacantly as the tiger leapt from crate to crate.

"His name is Joseph Charleston," Rusty announced, as he joined Danny in leaning on the rail.

"So definitely a relative then," Danny nodded.

"I'd guess direct ancestor," Rusty said with a shrug. "More to the point, he hangs out at Bell's on Bower Street when he's off duty, and he'd be _very _happy to see me there."

"No doubt," Danny said dryly. "I thought that was illegal back then. Now."

Rusty just looked at him. "Yeah, because something being illegal has _always _meant that people don't do it."

Good point. "So we need to get a private viewing or something. Less people. And then we need a really good distraction."

There was a sudden loud crack and a sort of pained growl and, startled, he looked round to see the trainer whipping the tiger angrily. The tiger was flinching away and Danny could see blood flecked along its flanks. Shocked, he looked round, expecting to see outrage and intervention, but everyone in the crowd was just laughing, like it was entertainment.

Rusty was tense beside him. "We can't interfere. 's just the way the world is...no one will understand, and he's not doing anything wrong. She's his property."

Reacting to the tight unhappiness in Rusty's voice, he reached out and laid his hand lightly on Rusty's. "Hey."

Rusty flashed him a smile. "Careful. Illegal, remember?"

"Bet an escaped tiger would be a great distraction," Danny said in a low voice.

"Yeah, right," Rusty snorted.

He paused for a second. Actually, if they handled things just right, they could make it work for them.

"Huh." Rusty looked at him. "You thinking - "

" -yeah," he grinned. "Why not? Come on, let's get out of here."

As they walked away there was another loud crack of the whip and a distinctly-human scream. Danny risked a glance over his shoulder. "Looks like he hit himself in the face with his own whip," he noted casually.

"Really?" Rusty bared his teeth. "How...unfortunate."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: There should be three chapters of this in total. Long term readers may be aware that I often say those things and they frequently turn out to vastly underestimating fic length, but I honestly can't imagine why I would want to split the next chapter. So, yeah. Three chapters. Probably**

**A/N2: Still for InSilva. Still happy birthday.**

* * *

They found themselves a large hotel near Paddington Station and got a couple of adjoining rooms on the top floor. Danny had stayed in a wide variety of hotels over the years, and he'd got used to a range of facilities. No AC he could handle. No TV was actually more unusual, but he could deal. No electricity or running water...? Okay, that was odd.

He took his hat off and threw it disconsolately on the bed. Gazing himself in the mirror, he groaned.

"Your hair's sticking up," Rusty told him, hunting on the top of a dresser and coming up with some matches.

"This is why people stopped wearing hats," he said grimly.

"Just wait till you start going bald," Rusty said cheerfully. "They'll suddenly seem like the most wonderful idea in the world."

His eyes widened. "I am _never _going to go bald," he declared with more hope than confidence. Rusty grinned, and Danny watched with an expression of mistrust as he lit the lanterns "Did they get a lot of fires in these times?"

Rusty stopped and stared at him. "Danny, what level of technology are you actually comfortable with?"

"Anything that doesn't involve fire," he said promptly.

"Hate to tell you this,, but making fire was something humans discovered pretty early," Rusty told him easily.

He grinned. "You calling me a caveman?"

Rusty looked at him critically. "Nah. Your brow's too manicured."

Oh, that was... "I have no idea whether that was a compliment or an insult."

"Then take it as a fact," Rusty said, bouncing down onto the bed. "Okay. So. We can head by Joseph's club tomorrow. Don't see that being a problem. What are you thinking for the tiger?"

Danny held up his phone silently.

Rusty frowned. "What do you...oh! Oh, yeah, that'll work."

"And that was technology," he pointed out smugly.

"Yes, yes, you're every inch the modern man," Rusty assured him. "Gonna need something else though to really sell it. You remember those guys with the shadow puppets?"

He grinned. "Then we just need some fake credentials - "

" - and some faker diamonds," Rusty finished.

Okay, then. They had the outline of a plan and already he could feel the familiar thrill, the joy that told him no matter what the circumstances, _this _was what he was born for. Now they needed to go through it all, flesh out the details, make it _perfect. _And that could take all night.

Automatically he looked round for the minibar, or a phone to call for room service.

"Not for another fifty years," Rusty told him with a smile.

He raised an eyebrow. "How did you survive without snacks twenty four seven?"

"It was a close run thing," Rusty told him seriously.

* * *

They'd always had the ability to walk blind into any city and find the people on the fringes of the society, the ones who'd take the money, do brilliant work, and not ask questions. In this case, they'd found their way to a quiet bar with a quieter man who was certain he'd be able to lay his hands on a copy of a royal seal and letterhead for the right price, and to the backstage of the Dolphin Theatre, where a little man with a squint and a French-Canadian accent promised them that for the money they were offering he could make them a whole bushel of glass diamonds. Whatever a bushel might be.

"It's something you hide your light under," Rusty declared confidently as they left by the stage door.

Danny thought about that. "So why would you need a whole lot of them?"

Rusty shrugged. "Maybe if you had a lot of lights."

They spent another day at the Exhibition, doing a little bit of wandering, a little bit of tiger-watching, and a little bit of staking out the diamond and making sure the secret agents – but not the soldiers – had the chance to see them. All in a complicated day's work, and as night fell, they wandered round to Bell's. It was unmarked, a narrow house sandwiched between two others, and the guy who pulled back the little shutter on the door eyed them with dark suspicion. But getting welcomed into places they weren't welcome was another of their talents, and five minutes later they were hanging around the edges of the club with a couple of glasses of whisky that tasted like someone had made it in their basement from the slime that grew on the walls.

They exchanged a quick glance and started discreetly looking around for somewhere to pour it out. Everyone else seemed to be drinking it happily enough. There were a half dozen card tables surrounded by intent gamblers, and a few women leaning against the stairs, dressed in low cut dresses and bright red lipstick. The place smelled like wood alcohol, hope and desperation, and the floor was sticky underfoot. He looked at Rusty. "You take me to all the nicest places," he murmured.

Rusty shrugged. "I _met _you in a place like this. Did I get around to asking what a nice boy like you was doing there?"

Danny ignored him. "Long as there's not a shotgun this time around."

As one, they glanced over to the surly bartender. "Wouldn't count on it," Rusty said finally.

Yeah. Danny figured there were places like this in every time in history.

Didn't take long before they'd talked their way onto Joseph's table. He recognised Rusty, naturally, and the leer was quick and dirty and entirely circumspect.

"Good to see you again," he said, leaning back expansively in his chair. "Andrew, wasn't it? I always like to see fresh meat. And you're very fresh, aren't you?"

"Practically raw," Rusty said lightly. "Oh, this is my friend Alfred Bellevue."

"Of course," Joseph nodded, eyeing Danny with a sort of curiosity, his eyes running over Danny's body and Danny wasn't exactly sure what Joseph thought the story was, but he figured he'd heard 'friend' in inverted commas anyway.

He nodded to Joseph, aiming for a sort of aloof self-confidence that he was certain would pique Joseph's interest. "Good to meet you," he said, casually dropping his money on the table like it was nothing to him. "Andrew mentioned that you're responsible for looking after your queen's treasures. That must be very...satisfying."

"Mmm," Joseph said with a sideways glance at Rusty. "I think perhaps we share a fondness for pretty things. Have you been to see the diamond?"

"Briefly," Danny admitted. He took his cards, raised the stakes, then took a calculated gamble. "I prefer something more polished myself. Fine carvings, statuary...that sort of thing."

"Something else we have in common," Joseph allowed. "I'm quite the collector myself."

"Really," Rusty said, looking at Joseph through long lashes. "I'd love to see some time."

"Well, I might just get around to extending you an invitation then," Joseph said smoothly. "Right now, why don't you show me what you've got?"

Danny already knew he had Joseph beat, but when Joseph turned over his cards to reveal three tens, he dropped his cards face down ruefully. "Looks like you win," he said lightly.

"Too bad," Joseph grinned, scooping the pot eagerly. "Why don't I buy you both a drink ready for the next hand?"

Several hands and several drinks later, they had been shown back to Joseph's place, listening to an entirely racist account of his time serving in the British army in India. It was hardly the first time they'd had to smile and nod and agree with someone despicable though. There were plenty ways of dealing with it. In this case they were mentally moving Joseph from the place in the plan marked 'way in' to the place marked 'fall guy'. Which made the whole thing easier anyway.

There was an umbrella stand made out of an elephant's foot in Joseph's hallway. Danny couldn't help but stare. Even if it wasn't real, it would still be incredibly tacky.

"You like that?" Joseph asked blearily as he led them into what was probably called a den and started fixing drinks. "Shot it m'self. Well, I had to. It came charging out of the bushes, straight at me and my men. Lot of men would panic in those circumstances, and if you panic, you're dead. But not me. I didn't hesitate. I stepped forwards with my trusty rifle and put a bullet right between its eyes."

Danny would be willing to bet that absolutely nothing about that story was true. "That's impressive," he said though. "You must be one hell of a shot."

"Amazing," Rusty agreed softly, his hands clasped together, his eyes shining.

Whether it was the privacy or the alcohol, Joseph didn't bother being subtle about his leering this time. "My wife and son are away in the country for the summer," he announced. "So we're nicely alone."

Danny wondered if that was somehow meant to sound romantic. But then, he supposed, Joseph really wasn't in this for the romance.

"Sou you wanted to see my collection?" Joseph went on. "I just have a few pieces, but I think you'll be interested in them."

They followed him and made the appropriate noises of wonder and admiration. And if their eyes happened to linger on a little gold idol that looked like a troll doll, well, Joseph would just interpret that as them being impressed.

"Is it bad?" Danny asked Rusty in a murmur when he was certain Joseph wouldn't overhear. "That I want to steal it now?"

Rusty looked at him scoldingly, his eyes dancing. "Oh, you just want to pull at the fabric of space and time to see if it unravels."

"You make the universe sound like a quilt," Danny told him.

"It really is beautiful," Rusty said flutingly to Joseph. "You have a good eye for these things. It must make the Exhibition a good assignment for you." His fingers brushed enticingly round his lips.

"It has its moments," Joseph said, watching him hungrily, and taking a halting step closer.

Right. Time for him to step into the background. Slightly. Ever so slightly.

"Yes," Rusty nodded. "I was there myself, as you know. The diamond is very beautiful, but there were so many people there. I think that's what spoils the shine. A pity."

"Maybe you could come by as the Exhibition is closing tomorrow," Joseph suggested eagerly. "We could have a private viewing, and then, maybe, we could go for a private supper."

"Private supper, huh?" Rusty asked with a smile. "Sounds...intriguing."

"I like seeing pretty things stuffed hard," Joseph smirked. "With food, I mean, obviously." He glanced sideways at Danny and it was thoughtful and appraising. Not scared of his reaction, then. Looking for the quid pro quo.

Effortlessly, Danny hid the reaction that Joseph should most definitely be scared of, and smiled. "And then, later, perhaps you and I could talk a little business. I have a number of interests that a man with your background and skill-set could contribute to. I believe we could find such an arrangement...mutually profitable."

"And enjoyable?" Joseph asked, his eyes focused on Rusty.

Danny inclined his head. "Exactly."

"Well, then," Joseph said with a broad smile. "I'll say that calls for another drink, what?"

There was a gleam in his eyes. Danny smiled to himself. Some marks were only too eager to set themselves up. Joseph knew he was being played, but he was seeing Rusty and the private supper as the bait and the fabled meeting as the proposition, and he was so intent on enjoying the former and avoiding the latter, that he wouldn't realise they'd have got what they wanted long before that point. Which was just as well; too long in Joseph's company, and Danny would probably punch him. Especially when, after a few more drinks and a bunch more filthy jokes, they stood to leave and Rusty had to side step smartly to avoid the drunken, clingy embrace, and the grabbing hands that followed.

"Just so you know?" Danny said conversationally as they walked down the street away from Joseph's house. "I didn't enjoy that any more with you than I did with Sammy."

Rusty grimaced. "I know. Sorry. I wasn't expecting him to be that enthusiastic. I swear, I remember Victorian guys being far more repressed."

"Guess vileness is a hereditary trait," Danny said brightly.

Rusty wasn't fooled and he looked at Danny quickly, his eyes filled with the silent reminder that nothing had happened, that Joseph hadn't so much as touched him, that even if he'd tried they would have been more than capable of dealing with it.

Danny exhaled slowly. "Yeah," he agreed. He frowned. "Where are we going anyway?"

In response, Rusty pointed to a long line of horses and carriages, waiting further along the street. "Thought we'd take a cab back to the hotel."

"Huh." He laughed briefly. "'s just like Central Park."

"But with no one taking photos," Rusty nodded.

"And it smells more like shit," Danny added, wrinkling his nose.

They walked in step. "So, tomorrow - " he started.

Rusty smiled. " - tomorrow," he agreed.

A whole new crime of the century. He could hardly wait. On night's like these, he felt like the stars were within their reach.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I had intended on getting this finished within three weeks. But, I didn't. Sorry.**

**A/N2: Still for InSilva. Still happy birthday**

* * *

They headed out early next morning to pick everything up – well. They planned to head out early. But by the time Danny had stopped complaining about the itchy blankets, and Rusty had stopped complaining that fixing his hair the way _he _liked would probably draw way too much attention, and they'd both eaten a large plate of something called kedgeree, because as odd as a rice-and-fish dish was for breakfast, it was always going to be preferable to kidney, by the time they'd finished with all that, _early _had come and gone.

The fake diamonds were pleasingly large and bright, the letterhead was suitably official, and the puppeteers were confident they'd got something realistic and frightening.

"So," Danny said, leaning back in his seat at the Exhibition coffee house, cup of coffee in his hand. Just for devilment, he'd tried asking for a cappuccino. It hadn't gone well.

"So," Rusty agreed, staring at his own coffee like he was trying to turn it into a milkshake by force of will alone...which, come to think of it... "We're set?"

"We're set," Danny nodded.

Rusty looked thoughtful, drumming his fingers against his mouth.

Danny sighed. "What?"

"We could maybe do with something a little stronger for the distraction." He was gazing out over the crowd.

Danny followed his gaze. "Like shouting, screaming people, maybe?" he suggested.

Rusty grinned. "Read my mind."

They spent most of the rest of the day people watching, ostensibly looking for likely candidates to metaphorically shout "Fire" in a crowded movie theatre, but really, they were enjoying the sunshine and the calm before the hurricane. And just because the people here were all hats and lace and crinoline, didn't make them any less fascinating or familiar.

The awkward young man and the shy young girl on what was obviously a first date, walking a metre apart and stealing half glances at each other, her scowling chaperone walking two steps behind with a clear expression of not-good-enough; the old couple walking along arm in arm, each wrapped in their own constant monologue, never apparently listening to each other, but still smiling amicably all the time; the group of grey-haired ladies dressed in black who were watching the crowd more than _they _were, scowling at everyone who seemed to be having a good time, tutting superiorly at the sound of laughter...all of them were so familiar.

"Guess people don't change much, huh," he said.

Rusty shrugged. "In some ways. They always find a way to surprise." He smiled. "You always find a way to surprise."

They'd found a couple of young guys who thought it all sounded like a good laugh and were more than happy to take the money and not ask why. Hell, Danny thought they would probably have done it for no reason at all, but money was always going to help.

They made their move at around five. The exhibition closed at six, and they were meeting Joseph at quarter to, but it was important that no one would have the opportunity to check their story out.

"How's your English accent?" Rusty asked.

He grimaced. "Pretty much non existent," he admitted. He sounded like Dick Van Dyke, that was as close as he came.

"Guess I should - "

" - be my guest," Danny agreed, and so it was Rusty who walked up to the agent on the door and flashed their new credentials very quickly.

"Meet me outside in two minutes. Do _not _let Captain Charleston or his men see you leaving," he said in a low voice and a crisp English accent.

To the agent's credit, he just stood there, not even glancing at their faces or watching them as they stole out of the room, confident that Joseph hadn't even spotted them.

They found a deserted corner and and waited and sure enough, three minutes later two of the agents appeared.

"What's all this about?" the one Rusty had spoken to asked.

"I'm Major Thynne of the Queen's personal guard," Rusty introduced himself. "This is Agent Bellevue, on loan from our American cousins, but a good chap in spite of that."

Danny shot Rusty a carefully crafted sardonic look. "Thanks," he said dryly.

Rusty held out the papers again, not quite close enough to encourage the agents to take them."These are our credentials, please feel free to study them, but I'm afraid we don't have much time and our mission is of the utmost priority."

The two agents glanced over their intimidating-looking papers and exchanged a quick glance of their own. "I'm Edwin Drake, and this is Morris Saunders," the agent introduced them. "What's going on, and how can we help?"

"Thank you, gentlemen," Danny said gravely. "Our investigation has uncovered a plot to steal the Koh-i-Noor."

"Impossible," Edwin snorted. "It's under constant guard."

Rusty looked round them warily. "It's the guards that are the problem," he said intently. "We have information from the most impeccable sources that Captain Charleston has been turned. As far as we're aware his motivations are nothing more than the crass desire for money, but we're not ruling anything out at this time. Obviously we must consider all of his men potentially compromised."

"Our information is that he intends to move tonight," Danny took over. "Probably within the hour."

"He's set up some kind of distraction to go on while he's giving a private viewing," Rusty added. "On the basis that everyone will, naturally enough, be watching the unknown element rather than your own colleagues."

Edwin was looking quietly overwhelmed. Danny looked straight at him, keeping up the intensity. "Now, we've managed to get under his rada..." He caught himself and winced imperceptibly. "His _guard_, in order to be that unknown element. Our plan is to catch him red handed. That way he will reveal the names of his conspirators in the hopes it will be taken into account at his court martial. That's where you come in," he added, putting his full measure of charm and charisma into his smile. "We're gonna need your help."

"He'll be watching you to see when _you're _distracted," Rusty added. "We need you to act naturally but be ready to grab him the moment we give the word." He took a deep breath. "Our orders come directly from the palace, gentlemen. Let's not let her majesty down."

The agents stood a little straighter. "You can rely on us, sir," Edwin promised crisply.

"Good man," Danny said warmly. "Now. Remember. Don't let Charleston suspect a thing."

"We won't," they promised.

As they were walking away, once he was certain no one could see, he shot Rusty a grin. "So here we go," he said. They were poised at the top of the roller coaster, and this was the moment it felt like they were flying.

* * *

They met up with Joseph at the exit door of the Koh-i-Noor room, just as he was letting the last visitor's out. He waited until the visitors were round the corner before he turned to them with a smile. "Glad you could make it," he said expansively. He took a step closer to Rusty, pushing lightly into his personal space and setting Danny's teeth on edge. "I must say, I'm looking forward to our engagement later. I've been thinking about getting you alone from the first time I saw you."

"I've been looking forward to it too," Rusty said softly, but Joseph didn't seem to care, already turning to Danny.

"Shall we get on then?" Joseph said, rubbing his hands together.

Huh. Seeing someone look past Rusty to him as if his opinion was the only one that mattered wasn't exactly a new experience, but this was the first time it had happened on what might be called a date, even euphemistically. Joseph really had no grace at all.

They stood and admired the diamond and the way that the agents absolutely didn't look at them with any more or less suspicion than they'd looked at anyone else. These guys were pros, you had to respect that. He'd be willing to bet _they _wouldn't take a couple of strangers in for a private viewing. Which was probably why they were quite so ready to believe Joseph was up to no good.

"It sure is beautiful," Rusty sighed gormlessly.

"Huge is what it is," Danny said, casually walking around the case so he was standing on Joseph's other side. "How much do you think it weighs?" He glanced easily past Joseph to where Rusty was standing on the far side and a step behind. Alright. They were ready. Time to fly.

Outside the clock struck the hour. It had barely stopped chiming when the shouts started.

"Tiger!"

"My God, the tiger's escaped!"

"Man eating tiger!"

"Tiger! Tiger!"

"What the hell?" one of the soldiers exclaimed, and they were moving towards the door, guns drawn.

At the same moment, Danny reached into his pocket and lightly pressed a button on his phone, setting off the playback function, and the loud angry growl of a tiger echoed around the room, just as the shadow of some enormous creature stalked past the open door. Oh, those guys had _outdone _themselves.

"Close the door!" Joseph shouted shrilly, and it looked like they were considering it.

No one was looking. Danny's hand plunged into Joseph's pocket, easily lifting the key to the diamond case in one easy motion, and a second later, Rusty bumped into Joseph, sending him sprawling into the case.

"We need to get out of here!" he cried in a panicky voice, drawing attention as Danny smartly shoved the key into the lock.

One of the soldiers stuck his head round the door cautiously. "There's no tiger," he reported disgustedly. "It's just those shadow-puppet fellows."

"I heard a growl," Joseph protested, his hands still resting on the case.

"Captain Charleston?" Danny said calmly. "Would you mind stepping away from there?"

Joseph frowned at him. "What?"

"Do as he says, Captain," Edwin said, walking up and gesturing towards the key. "Unless you can explain _this?_"

"_What? _That's not mine," Joseph protested immediately, reaching frantically for his pocket.

Danny smiled coldly inside as he caught the split-second of frozen bewilderment, as Joseph realised that not only was the key not there, but there was something large and diamond-shaped in his pocket, right where Rusty had planted it. That moment right there made him feel at least a little better about all the shit Joseph had said to Rusty.

"I must have dropped them," Joseph said lamely, closing his hand over his pocket protectively. "But, I mean, the diamond is still there, right? That's what matters."

Silently, Morris stepped up beside Edwin and drew his gun, training it straight on Joseph.

There was sweat beaded on Joseph's forehead. "The diamond doesn't appear to have been tampered with, sir," Morris pointed out to Danny.

Joseph's eyes grew huge. "Sir? Wh...what's going on here?!"

They all ignored him. "I think we should search him," Danny said firmly. "Just in case."

Edwin looked over to the soldiers. "Are you going to cooperate?"

They all looked pale and confused, but they nodded. "Yessir."

"Alright then," Edwin said satisfied. "Don't move for the moment. If Captain Charleston tries anything, stop him."

He helped Edwin manoeuvre Joseph up against the wall while Morris kept him covered with his pistol. Rusty, meanwhile, hung back, staying close to the case and the real diamond.

Danny let Edwin do the pat down. Some things were better discovered by an independent witness. Besides, he really didn't relish such close contact with Joseph.

It took about thirty seconds for him to find the 'diamond'. And that was the point when everyone in the room was staring straight at Joseph.

"That's not mine!" Joseph shouted immediately, with absolute honesty.

Edwin's eyes blazed. "No indeed! It belongs to her majesty, Queen Victoria."

"Is that the real one or the fake one?" Morris asked, peering over with a frown.

Danny made a show of looking between the fake diamond in Edwin's hand and the real one in the case. "I can't tell," he said, sounding frustrated. "The key was in the case. He could have had time to make the switch. Maybe if we had a side by side comparison?"

"Good idea," Edwin agreed.

And of course, Rusty was standing right by the case and no one even batted an eyelash when he reached in and removed the diamond.

Danny waited until it was securely in his hand before pressing the button on his phone again. The tiger roared and, as expected, everyone jumped and looked round. "Oh, no you don't," Danny snapped decidedly to Joseph, pushing him back as if he'd been taking advantage of the distraction to escape, and of course that really got everyone looking round, and by the time Rusty brought the diamond over and gave it unhesitatingly to Edwin, it too was fake.

"I really can't tell which is real," Edwin marvelled, looking down at the two pieces of beautifully cut crystal.

"I didn't do anything," Joseph protested desperately.

"Because you didn't get a chance to," Danny told him seriously, and he wasn't talking about the diamond.

"It's you," Joseph said, staring at him. "It has to be. Drake, you have to believe me."

"We have the diamond and the fake," Rusty said, his accent flawless. "And you have the prisoner secure. We'll go and telegram for reinforcements. We need to try and get this all sorted out." He permitted himself a small smile. "I rather think the next few days are going to be very busy. For all of us."

Edwin nodded. "Very good, sir."

Like Rusty had said, as far as they were concerned the diamond was safe, so even if they had any suspicions, they had no reason not to let him and Rusty leave, and they marched right out of the room, only breaking into an easy stroll when they were safely round the corner.

Danny shot Rusty an enquiring look, and Rusty reached up casually and patted his coat meaningfully. Well, alright. He kept the grin carefully hidden inside. That didn't mean Rusty couldn't see it.

He took a step towards the nearest exit, but Rusty grabbed his arm. "This way," he said, pulling him in the opposite direction.

"Any particular reason?" Danny asked, following obligingly.

"You'll see," Rusty said, and a moment later they stepped into the room with all the locks they'd seen on the first day. There was a small group of confused-looking visitors still milling around, but everyone official had vanished, possibly in search of the tiger.

Danny looked at the locks and then looked back at Rusty. "You know," he said in an undertone. "They're going to come looking for us soon."

"By my count you got less than three minutes," Rusty told him, leaning easily back against the wall. "Impress me."

He smiled. "Didn't know I had to."

Rusty's eyes told him he didn't.

With a grin, he set about the locks with enthusiasm, and the visitors crowded closer as one by one the locks fell open. He basked in the soft gasps of shock and wonder. He had to admit, he loved an audience. It was probably a disadvantage in his line of work, but after all, what mattered most was the soft smile on Rusty's face.

"Time?" he said, as the last lock opened.

"Two minutes forty," Rusty said promptly. He pursed his lips. "Over two and a half minutes to do something impossible? You're slipping."

He just looked at him.

"Happy Birthday," Rusty said. "We should really get out of here."

"Wait," one of the visitors said, pushing forwards. "You opened the locks. The manufacturers will want to talk to you. There's a prize!"

"Sorry," he said easily. "I prefer to remain anonymous."

Somewhere in the distance, someone was shouting. Probably Joseph had managed to persuade the agents that there was something strange going on here.

Rusty looked at him. "Run?"

"Run," he agreed.

They ran. Out of the room and down a corridor until they were standing in front of a blocked door, in a dead end, well out of sight of everyone.

Rusty pulled the playing card out of his pocket. "Time to go," he said lightly.

Danny grinned as he touched the card and the world dissolved. Now here was an exit strategy to end all exit strategies. No one was going to follow them into the future.

* * *

The world rebuilt itself, and they were back in Vegas, sitting in front of that fire, and the whisky in front of them still had ice in them.

He looked down at himself. Huh. He was wearing the same suit he'd been wearing before they'd left. And he knew he'd left that in a hotel room in 1851. He looked across the table at Rusty and raised an eyebrow. "You're cheating again."

Rusty looked sulky. "You want to explain why you're suddenly dressed like an 1850s fop? I thought this would be better."

"Probably," he agreed. "Shame. I was starting to get used to the high collar look."

"Mmm." Rusty tilted his head. "It might have found its way into your wardrobe. Just in case."

"Just in case?" he asked.

Rusty shrugged. "You never know. Tess might like the Pride and Prejudice thing."

He laughed. "So, can I see it?"

With a smile, Rusty pulled the diamond out from his jacket and laid it on the table and they stared at it in silence for a moment. It was unfathomably big, and breathtaking to look at. Every facet seemed to shine in the firelight.

"Happy Birthday," Rusty said again softly.

He swallowed hard. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Some days he found it difficult to believe that this was real. Rusty offered everything wonderful and impossible, just because he could. He cleared his throat. "So, what do you do with the largest diamond in the universe?"

"Not the universe," Rusty said comfortably. "There are entire stars made of diamond out there."

Oh. He turned and looked at Rusty, wondering, but not quite asking the question.

Rusty caught his eye and laughed. "Discovery channel, Danny," he promised. "And I don't know...you could always send it back with a polite note."

He grinned, enjoying the thought of the consternation that would cause. "Or maybe it would just look good on the mantlepiece," he suggested.

"Oh, I think it would look excellent on the mantlepiece," Rusty agreed.

"Wait, is that _real?_" They looked up, taken by surprise by Linus' voice, and saw him, Basher and Yen standing over them, staring down at the diamond.

Danny laughed and pulled the diamond away easily, making it vanish beneath the table. "It's a fake, Linus. You think we're just sitting here with a priceless diamond?" he asked.

"We're good, but we can't just make diamonds appear out of nowhere," Rusty smiled.

Linus blinked drunkenly at both of them. "That means it _is_ real!" he declared loudly. "Because if it was fake you'd have tried to tell me it was real, so if it's real, it must be fake...or not?"

They exchanged a very quick amused look. "Unless that's what we want you to think," Danny said gravely.

"Maybe we've decided to lie to you by telling you the truth," Rusty added.

Linus looked like he thought that was entirely believable and more than a little worrying.

"It does look real though," Basher commented. "'s pretty."

Yen nodded his agreement and, eyes narrowed, suggested they would absolutely just sit there with a priceless diamond if they felt like it. Which, of course, was true.

"Anyway," Basher went on. "Reuben was looking for you. Something about ordering pizza."

"It's almost four o'clock in the morning," Linus protested.

"Perfect time for pizza," Danny said firmly, glancing at Rusty. "Go on, we'll catch you up."

They left, and Rusty pulled the playing card out of his pocket and glanced at it. "Huh. There's still enough left for at least another trip. You want to - "

Danny reached out and curled his hand around Rusty's. "Why don't we save it for next year?" he suggested.

Rusty looked at him and smiled. "Next year," he agreed. "Wherever and whenever you want to go."

Didn't really matter, in the end. What mattered was he was with Rusty, having fun and doing the impossible. What better birthday present could a man ask for?


End file.
